Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) will be an original cosponsor of Sen. Tom Cotton's (R-Ark.) Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act, or RAISE Act, which will end future Chain Migration and the Visa Lottery. Both senators held a press conference today to discuss the legislation.
Both Sens. Cotton Perdue emphasized that the RAISE Act was only a first step during the press conference.
During his introduction, Sen. Perdue said, “This is a first step. It is not a sweeping comprehensive attempt to solve all legal immigration problems not does it address illegal issues. We are simply trying today to bring a rational, compassionate approach to this different issue within the immigration conversation.”
Sen. Cotton agreed saying, “What strikes me about our current immigration system over the last 50 or so years is that it’s become kind of piece-meal and something no one really voted for and very few people like. So this is our first step to try to return it too historical norms and make it work for the American citizen and the American worker. “
Both senators also agreed that this bill would benefit American works by moving the legal immigration system to more of a merit-based system.
“Sen. Perdue and I think it’s time for our immigration system to start working for American workers. The RAISE Act would help increase wages by returning immigration levels to their historical norms and rebalancing the system toward merit based immigration,” Sen. Cotton said.
Sen. Cotton remarked that he had spoken with Pres. Trump who supports moving the legal immigration system to more of a merit-based system.
For more on the RAISE Act you can read Roy Beck’s blog here.
You can watch the full press conference at CSPAN.org.
